


A New Beginning

by AbsolutelytheV



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe- David Adopts Max, Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Max Needs A Hug, Physical Abuse, Sad with a Happy Ending, adoption au, dadvid, i promise it will get happier... eventually, ok this is going to be really sad for a really long time
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2018-09-17
Packaged: 2019-02-21 21:34:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13152492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AbsolutelytheV/pseuds/AbsolutelytheV
Summary: Reasonably, it’s difficult for Max to trust people, but the weight of the world can be a heavy burden to take on all your own, especially when the winds get rough. Summer has come to an end and Max is faced with some difficult circumstances. David is there to help, and brings with him the promise of a fresh start, brighter tomorrows, and a loving home. Max’s past is a little worse than anyone imaged and it seems that, begrudgingly, he can’t do everything on his own. But hey, sometimes riding through life in tandem is easier than solo.In other words: an angsty dadvid fic with lots of crying and fowl language.





	1. I

“Fuck.”

With the winding down of the summer months, the warmth of the days no longer lingers into the night. The shaded floor of the woods surrounding Camp Campbell wasn’t as warm and inviting as it once was during the day. In fact, if Max was being honest, it was a little frightening. Of course he would never admit to that as long as he was alive. 

It didn’t matter if he was beginning to feel scared and lost in the woods with every step further into the unknown he took, or if the chilly night air was starting to get to him through his sweater and his fingers were beginning to numb and his teeth beginning to chatter. His parents never showed up to pick him up. So he had decided to take matters into his own hands. He packed up his backpack, raiding the mess hall pantry stealthily for pudding cups while his two councilors finished taking down the tents and generally getting the camp packed up and closed for the summer. Mr. Honeynuts was obviously packed in as well, but sometime in between the time that he had left and entered the woods in what he hoped was the direction of town, and now, he had unknowingly taken him out and was clutching him to his chest.

The voices of Gwen and David carried across the camp, searching for him and begging him to reveal himself. Max rolled his eyes to keep himself and quickened his pace. The last thing he needed was idiot David dragging him back to camp and then sending him off with child protective services. 

“Max! Get back here you little shit!” 

And then a much quieter, “No, Gwen, you’ll scare him away even more... Max! Please come out!” This voice sounded desperate, but Max knew that it was all probably a lie, a ploy, to get him to come out. He was tired of being taken advantage of because adults thought he was stupid. He knew what happened to kids in the system. And he wasn’t about to go home either, not that he even had hope that that would be an option. Either way he was getting out of these woods and this damned camp by himself. 

This would be his last grand escape from Camp Campbell. If he got caught by the camp man this time, it would surely mean the end for him. Heaven knows that David wouldn’t understand what Max was in for. Poor, poor, optimistic David. 

Max eventually settled down for a moment to catch his breath after what had seemed like hours of walking when the voices calling his name in search of him faded away in the night. They’d give up on him soon eventually, he reasoned. Everyone always does. He supposed he could count it as a blessing, he could easily squeeze through the system for the next few years until he could start making a money and get on his feet. If no one noticed him or cared, it would be easy to move around town to town without raising too many questions. 

While Max was trying to figuring out the rest of his life and how he would get by, he hadn’t even noticed the tears that had begun pooling in his eyes and dropping onto his bear’s head who was clutched tightly to his chest. 

No one loved him.

No one was coming to get him.

He supposed he would have to grow to accept these facts with time if he was going to make it by himself. At least he was safe. Once he’s out by himself no one can hurt him anymore. He’ll be safe from his parents, hundreds of miles away if he can help it, and he’ll be safe from the rest of the shitty homes as long as he can keep himself out of the system for long enough too. If living his life alone was the price he had to pay to begin to feel safe, then perhaps that was a fair enough price. Of course, poor Max had no idea how it would really be like for a ten year old to make it in the real world by themself.

After a few minutes of sitting quietly, with eyes wide and straining to see in the dark, listening intently for any kind of noise that might mean danger, be that a wild animal looking for its next meal or a gangly ginger man looking to turn him over to the authorities, Max thought that this place was good enough to rest for the night. He gathered leaves with tired, droopy eyes and constructed a small awning to cover him in case of falling walnuts or rain. The small child settled down in a bed of leaves feeling both mentally and physically exhausted. He hadn’t eaten breakfast or lunch that day, save for his black coffee. He had been too upset, fully knowing what the future held for him. He had known that his parents weren’t returning for him since the first day of camp when they dropped him off. The car was packed up with more than just his stuff, and neither of them said anything to him that morning, which he was slightly grateful for as his body was still aching if he moved the wrong way. When they dropped him off in the little town for him to find the bus to the camp all by himself before speeding off and kicking up dust in their wake, he knew it was the last time he would ever see them again. They were moving. Probably back home to his Daada’s in India. They would leave him in America to rot and there was nothing he could do about it.

For how tired Max felt, it took him quite some time to fall asleep curled up in a ball around his stuffed bear to try to get warm, covered in leaves, shivering, with tears silently rolling down his cheeks. Eventually sleep overcame him. 

Max slept restlessly. 

 

David did not sleep. 

The minute him and Gwen had finished putting away the last camper’s tent, he made his way towards the mess hall where he had seen Max sulk into earlier that day after waiting with the rest of the kids to get picked up. He was a little worried after parent’s day a month ago, especially when he saw the kids file after Gwen dug it up for him. No address, no emergency phone number, not even a gosh darn last name. He boiled David’s blood to see a child treated like that. Of course... he had hoped that it wouldn’t come to this. 

The mess hall was empty when David walked in. The mess hall was empty when David searched harder. The mess hall was empty when David turn the tables upside down in his desperation. The mess hall was empty and Max was nowhere to be seen. 

“Gwen! “David dropped the table he had lifted up not caring in that moment what happened to it. “Gwen!” He called her again, a panic attack beginning to wrap its inky black tendrils around his chest, his breathing quickened and became uneven. “Gwen!” She eventually turned to face him, standing up exasperatedly from the work she was doing with a groan and a glare already plastered on her face. 

“Oh, what the fuck is it now, D-” she stopped short when she saw the look on his face and immediately closed the distance in between them. She’s known David for a long time now and had witnessed some of his panic attacks before. She’d helped him before and she would do her best to help calm him down now. She did get a masters in psychology after all. “David, what’s wrong? You need to take deep breaths. With me, come on.” She holds his shoulders looking up at him and she takes deep, exaggerated breaths attempting to get him to match her breathing. David hardly paid attention to her or her efforts to help him. 

“Max is gone.” he said with a disturbing resolve, considering how he looked right now, his eyes wide with fear and glistening with tears. 

“Okay,” Gwen said softly, piecing things together in her head, trying not to let anything show on her face. “Okay, we’ll find him don’t worry. But you need to calm down first.” 

Both of them knew Max was an incredibly smart kid. He probably knew that if his parents never came for him, that the two councilors would have no other choice but to contact the authorities. Which is all true, but to run away just goes to prove how immature he still is. 

This time David nodded and swallowed hard, taking in deep breaths with Gwen just like they had done dozens of times before together. He fingers fidgeted uncontrollably, so he fisted them as his sides and tried to concentrate. He knew the forest like the back of his hand, he wasn’t going to rest until he found Max and had him safely in his arms. 

Once Gwen had deemed him ‘okay’ enough that they could start into the woods, David strode in with confidence and determination. The sun was beginning to set, but David couldn’t feel the chill, or the twigs scrapping at his legs as he quickly made his way forward. The only thing he felt was the ache in his chest know that Max was out here scared and alone and cold. 

He vowed that night, when Gwen grew exhausted and David had commanded her to get back to the camp, when he was alone in the black night still calling out Max’s name, when the ache in his chest grew worse with each passing hour. He vowed that he would protect Max, and that even though he didn’t know what the child’s past was like, he could ensure what his future would be better. A better future for Max. With him.

David knew that Max was too smart to walk along the edge of the road if he didn’t want to get caught. David also knew where the nearest town was if he were to walk straight through the woods, and first he searched that, almost all the way, until he realized that Max didn’t know this, and that he was more likely heading in the incorrect direction, which meant more land for David to search. This didn’t bother him though, he would do anything for his boy. By the time the sun had begun to rise, he only had about a quarter of the woods most probably for Max to be in, the area of woods closest to the camp due to Max’s such short legs making him cover little ground, and had high hopes of finding Max. 

 

Max woke up to his name being called, making him sit up with a start, fear in his eyes. His body groaned and ached with the sudden movements, having slept in all the wrong positions last night on the forest floor. His chest rose and fell rapidly as his brain caught up with his body. He wasn’t at home again with his parents, most likely his father, thundering up the stairs to get to him, he was alone in the woods. Alone, save for Mr. Honeynuts who was laying right next to him, having rolled over when Max sat up so quickly. For a brief moment Max thought that perhaps he had caught the last second of a nightmare until he heard the sound again. 

“Max!”

It was David. Max’s stomach plumpeted as he grabbed his backpack and bear and quickly as he could, stopping for one brief moment to kick his shelter from last night hoping that it would collapse and leave no evidence. It didn’t, but it did slump over into more of a pile and that was good enough for Max. 

“Max!”

Max began running. Branches pulled at him as he pushed forward away from the voice as fast as he could, ignoring the sting of his face as he ran into twigs. It reminded him bitterly of slaps to the face, which spurred him faster, quiet sobs inaudible under the panting of his breath. 

After what had felt like another hundred miles to Max, though in total he was under ten miles away from camp, he could no longer hear David calling for him. Why was that idiot man looking for him? He probably called the police already and they offered him some money to find him. If anyone knew these woods well enough to find him before he got to the town and on a bus far away from here, it was that damned camp man. Max slowed his pace but angrly kelp walking, beginning to eat his pudding cups to try to quell the hunger that had solidified itself in his gut. 

“I hate this camp. I hate David.” He mutter to himself as he angrily slurped the last of his pudding cup, having forgotten to pack a spoon, and throwing the empty plastic on the forest floor as a sort of spiritual rebellion against David.Then he would repeat it, grabbing another from his back right after finishing the last one. It turns out that pudding cups don’t fill you up as much as he has thought when he packed them. “And I hate pudding,” he continued, throwing another cup to the floor. Almost all of his pudding ration was gone by noon, and he was still lethargic from lack of sleep and lack of food. “Stupid fucking trees,” he muttered frustratingly as he stumbled over another root that had climbed its way to the surface, his feet dragging slightly. By this time, Max was hardly covering any ground at all. His frustratedly thought that perhaps he was walking in a giant fucking circle and he was going to walk his sorry ass straight back into Camp Campbell and right into the arms of the bastards who would ruin his life.

 

David was exhausted, but he didn’t let it slow him down. He’d gone plenty nights without sleep before. The ache in his chest hadn’t gone away, and he was just as determined as he was before. In this game of cat and mouse between him and Max, he had the upper hand. He could cover much more ground than the tiny ten year old, and he was almost positive that Max had stopped to sleep last night while he had not. David had been calling Max’s name for the greater part of the morning, but at around noon, he found something that made him stop. It felt almost like a mirage, too good to be true. At the base of a tree there was a small bed of leaves and a hand made covering that appeared to be hasetly, and sloppily, taken down. It was just Max’s size, and even though Max seemed uninterested in camp activities, David knew he paid attention the most. There wasn't a single doubt in his mind that this is where Max slept last night. It suddenly suddenly came to David’s attention that Max was running from him. This sent a shock of sadness down his spine that almost, almost, started up his crying again. In the past month of summer between the moment he had shared with Max on parent’s day, and now, him and the boy had grown much closer. Of course Max still threatened him and called him awful, despicable things, but he felt as if the hostility had decreased between them. David felt as if Max had begun to trust him more. And it seemed like the closer they got to the last day of summer camp, the closer Max came to David. Arealization made David physically stop in his tracks. Max was scared to not be going home. He knew from the very beginning and he never told David, and then decided to run from it instead. With a deep breath to ground himself, David began walking again, this time refraining from calling out Max’s name, but simply began to follow the faint trail of disturbed woods that Max had left in his wake. 

When David found the first pudding cup, he was too overjoyed to be upset at Max for the littering. He knew he was getting close and that Max was okay, and for once in the past day, the ache in his chest began to subside. He picked up his pace, even though he was no doubt already going three times the little boy’s speed with his much larger leg span. 

A second pudding cup, and then a third, a forth. David collected them all dutifully in his own pack each time he saw one and adjusted his path accordingly. Max had unknowingly made it much easier to find him. David couldn’t help a smile coming to his face at the thought of finding Max and knowing that he was safe. They had a lot to talk about when they both got back to camp. Because heaven knows that David isn’t leaving these woods unless it’s with Max in tote.

How had Max not seen it coming. He had eaten all of his pudding and was still exhausted. He felt like death in the moment, let alone thinking about the time and effort it would take to get to the town, if he was even heading in the correct direction! He had all but accepted what he believed to be his demise. He was stupid to think that he could make it by himself. This was his worst idea, irrational, and fueled by fear. ‘At least,’ he thought cynically, ‘if I’m dead no one can hurt me any more. I won’t have to worry about my parents or whatever dumb fucking home they’d try to put me in.’ He had a scowl on his face and plopped down on the ground and let more silent tears roll down his cheeks. He couldn’t believe he had cried to much in the past day. He was such a baby. No wonder his parents left him for dead, he didn’t deserve parents, not even shitty ones like them. Max closed his eyes and put his head in his hands, hoping that that clan of murderous squirrels would find him sooner rather than later and put him out of his misery. 

The second that David spotted Max’s unmistakeable head of thick dark hair, his smile all but split his face in two as his own eyes welled up with tears of joy. “Max!”

Max’s head whipped around, his eyes wide as saucers. David realized his mistake causing his smile falter while the boy, still a good distance in front of him, scrambled to his feet and broke into a reckless sprint. 

“Max stop! You’ll hurt yourself!” David cried almost immediately catching up with him. Max was furious. He felt betrayed. David was going to collect him and ruin his life. It would’ve been better off if he had died in this god forsaken forest! He was weak and tired, but the adrenaline he felt at the sight of some coming to take him to some hell made his blood pump and gave him more than enough energy to run for what felt like his life. He didn’t even bother trying to yell back at David, he had to focus all of his energy if he was going to out-run that gangly limbed idiot. 

But in the end, Max didn’t stand a chance, David tackled him in a matter of seconds, crying like a baby with tears of happiness, wrapping both of his arms around Max, holding him tightly to his chest as the child bucked and kicked trying to free himself with no avail. David softened the blow of both of their bodies hitting the floor, letting Max land on top of him. They stayed there for a moment— Max against his will and David just to collect himself and prove to himself that the Max he was hugging in his arms really was his Max. 

“David, you motherfucking ass! Let me go! I’ll-I’ll skin you!!” Max could barely even move under the hold of David, though that didn’t stop him from trying. If he got caught now, it was all over for him. He would end up in some shitty home for wayward kids and be a ward of the state for the rest of his life. Max was frustrated and, dare he say it, scared, neither of which aided him as he struggled to hold back his own tears and maintain that tough kid persona in front of David. 

David was so overwhelmed. He held Max closer to him, resting his face in Max’s hair as tears fell freely from his eyes. It wasn’t surprising that he had started with the water works, it was David, after all. Max was safe and in his arms, and he would do everything in his power to keep it that way. “Max, you need to calm down,” he said sobering up a little, for the boys sake, trying to get the boy to relax so he could bring him back to the safety of camp. He could feel Max’s body heat rise as he got more upset, and he could feel the child beginning to shake. David slowly stood up, practically cradling Max to keep him from getting too jostled and began walking in hopes that the movement would calm Max. “Are you hurt at all?” No response. “Max I was so worried about you..” he adds softly, loosening his grip as the child seems to stop fighting against him, using his free hand to instead try to soothingly rub the child’s back. 

“Stop.” Max replied, the tone of his voice and the way he struggled to push one word out evident of how upset he was. David stopped and shifted Max so that he could see his face, not risking setting the boy down and having to begin the whole process of hide and seek all over again. “Stop lying.” this time his voice was stronger and with more resolve, as he looked into David’s eyes. His own eyes were red and puffy and it was evident that he had been crying. David’s heart shattered at the sight of him. He wanted the best for him, and it hurt him that Max chose to run away instead of asking him for help. Not only that, but also actively running away from him as well. “Please don’t let them take me.” He mumbled in a broken voice after David didn’t respond and just looked at him with sympathy. David had never seen Max this vulnerable. In this moment, he really did look like a kid against the world, trying to take it all on by himself. He never explicitly said who ‘them’ was, but David seemed to take the hint. He knew that Max was smart and probably fantasized about what would happen to him. And with his cynical mind, David was sure that Max assumed the worst. 

“Believe me, Max” David began, drying his eyes with his old Camp Campbell shirt around his neck before going back to soothingly rubbing Max’s back. “Nothing bad is going to happen to you,” Max opened his mouth to cut him off, a disbelieving pout on his face, but David continued, his voice strong and convincing. “I will do everything in my power to keep you safe. You’re not alone in this Max. You may think that you’re on your own team, and the whole universe is against you.” David held Max tighter, wanting to make him feel better just at the thought of him thinking so negatively, “But you’re wrong, Max. You have me.” David looked down at Max who had no comment to add but seemed deep in thought. Max was compliant and no longer fighting against him, which made carrying him so much easier. David tried to offer an encouraging smile to Max, but his eyes were still sympathetic and worried so it didn’t hold as much joy as usual. “We’ll get through this together, okay?” Max didn’t answer, but he didn’t protest either. David was honestly surprised that he was putting up with him holding onto him for this long. 

The inside of Max’s head was in turmoil. He was in a state of confusion, battling with the fact that David seemed to care so damn much, when he knew that there was no way he actually did. That and the fact that no matter what David said, he was going to end up a ward of the state, and he was going to find his way out of it, even if it’s the last thing he does. He would play nice for a while, make the authorities feel as if it’s safe to relax the leash they have on him, and then he’d run never looking back. He’d ration his food to save it for the road not like this time with the pudding. Once he was in a city, it would be much easier to survive, he wagered, than it was in the woods. Besides, he had much more experience making it by himself in a city setting rather than wilderness from the times his parents would “accidentally” lock him out of the house while they were away, sometimes days or weeks at a time. 

David had a lot to think about on the way home too. His arms never got tired holding up Max, and at one point he was sure the kid was dozing off the way his head would loll and then fix itself jerkily. It only reminded David of the current fatigue he was feeling right now. He could rest later, for now, he needed to come up with a plan. It was indisputable that he had to contact the authorities when they got to the camp. If things worked out best, they would find Max’s parents and then he could return him to where he belonged. And perhaps if he was lucky he would see him next summer for camp! Of course, at this point in time, David hadn’t an inkling of how bad Max’s home life was prior to this moment. No one really did except for Max. In the worst case scenario David imagined, the police can’t find Max’s parents and in which case David would have no other choice to fight tooth and nail for Max. Although, it’s not like he’s protesting at that idea at all. Having Max in his life would mean the world to him. Max already meant the world to him if he was being honest. He was a little young to be a dad, but he would make it work. He was sure that the government would have no problem with him taking Max in. He was educated, had a job, both for the summer and the winter, and a modest but nice place to life. David hadn’t noticed, but there was a soft smile on his face as he walked back into the Camp Campbell campgrounds imaging all the ways he could, and would, make Max’s life so much better. 

Gwen was in her office when David walked in, motioning with one hand to remain quiet when she turned in her chair to face him with her mouth already open, her words half out. David laid the kid down in his bed, trying his best to not wake him up. He doubted Max had gotten much sleep last night and he knew for a fact that Max had troubles sleeping anyways having seen him sitting outside of his tent or on the dock to the lake while David was on his own night walks. David figured that Max especially hadn’t been sleeping well for the past week for so do to the stress of knowing what was to come. 

David returned to Gwen after shutting the door behind him. The window in that room was stuck shut, so unless Max figured out a way to break through it, which David doubted he was strong enough for, the only way out if he wanted to run away was through that door. And both Gwen and David would see and hear if that door opened. 

“I called the sheriff about ten minutes ago,” she confessed, a somber look on her face as well. “I was fairly confident you would come back, I don’t think you could get lost out there if you tried,” both her and David half smiled, neither of them really having the strength to laugh knowing how hard today was going to be for Max. “ But regardless… We’re going to need him to hand Max over to.” David sat down dramatically in the open chair next to the desk with a long sigh, his eyes beginning to moisten already. 

“I know. “


	2. II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I'm sorry the police have to get involved"

Max slept for a long time. In fact he slept past lunch and dinner. Although that fact didn’t bother him that much. He was used to missing meals. What bothered him more was the hushed voices and the occasional soft taps of ceramics being set on the table, the setting sun outside and the police car lit up with the evenings red light. Max was a good listener. He had to be when he was at home. He relied on his hearing to alert him of the coming danger so that he could prepare himself. For as big as Max talked, he never fought back with them. 

Max didn’t get out of bed, there was something comforting about the heavy warm blankets, that and he didn’t want to risk his steps creaking on the old cabin floors to alert the “guest” of his consciousness. It felt like an eternity he laid there, battling his mind to keep it focused on straining to hear any of the muffled conversation and not get lost in the horrors he imagined were his future. Max had deduced from his listenings that there were three people sitting in the kitchen in the councilors cabin. David and two unknowns, those of which he assumed drove the police car now sitting in the driveway. Gwen could not be heard, and Max was sure if she was still here he definitely would have heard her saying something.

***********************

“What are you going to tell the police when they get here?” Gwen still sat at the desk, though she has fully turned her chair to face David who is on the verge of tears. 

“I don’t know. The truth I suppose.” He paused and rubbed his hands down his face in an attempt to compose himself. “Gosh, Gwen. What kind of parent..?” He trails off breaking eye contact to look out the window to her left his brows knit together. He didn’t have to finish for Gwen to understand what he was thinking. 

“Maybe they forgot?” Gwen added hopefully, though her voice was so quiet and empty and, who was she kidding, neither of them could begin to believe that anyways. Her phone buzzed in its place on the desk, Gwen sparing it a glance before continuing, “The sheriff said he would look into anything suspicious before he came up but said he couldn’t guarantee anything.” 

David nodded grimly and stood up from the chair he just sat down in unable to keep his feet from tapping. He paced slowly, not frantically. Max was safe and that was the most important part. Now he just had to keep him that way. Gwen’s phone went off again as he stepped into the kitchen to make the both of them some dinner, something to busy his hands and mind. Gwen declined the call and stood up to help him. The fridge was practically empty, but thankfully there was something to eat, albeit it made for some rather bland sandwiches. Gwen stomached it with a grimace and David didn’t even seem to notice, opting to eat his meal standing at the counter rather than sitting at the table. 

Gwen’s phone vibrated hard and loud against the counter, piercing the silence. She reached for it quickly and picked it up only just enough so it didn’t buzz against the table. “Who keeps ringing you?” David asked, still in a quiet voice so that the child could sleep. Earlier he debated waking him up to eat but settling instead upon leaving a sandwich and an apple along with a glass of water with ice on the bedside table for when he woke up and letting him sleep. 

“It’s my roommate,” Gwen offered, planning not to tell David the whole truth until she met his eyes and saw the look he was giving her. “I have an am class tomorrow and I was supposed to be back at the apartment this afternoon. She’s just worried.” She quickly guilty explained. David frowned into his mug of tea. As much as he appreciated Gwen’s help, he couldn’t keep her from school, he knew how much that meant to her already. He could already see the stress lines that had previously disappeared with the campers reappearing on her face at the thought of school and her poor degree choices. 

“You should head home once the officer gets here. I can handle things with him once he gets here and keep you updated on the situation.” As much of a pushover David sometimes seemed to be with the kids and even sometimes Gwen, Gwen knew that there were some things that David would not back down on. She knew when he got that look that there was no arguing. She supposed it was probably in her best interest too. 

“Okay. That’s fair. But you better not forget to text me!” David smiled softly, the exhaustion and worry still evident on his face. Gwen immediately stood up from her seat to and dialed her roommate with her clunky camp phone, it was old and ugly but just about the only thing that could get signal out here with its ridiculous long antena. 

David tuned out the conversation Gwen was having with her presumed roommate. His mind trailed back to the thought of living with Max again. It was true that in the month following parents night, he and Max had grown a lot closer. Of course Max still had a foul mouth and insulted David as frequently as possible but David seemed to understand him better now. As well as vice versa. The fact that the sheriff wasn’t able to find his parents immediately made David consider the idea of taking Max in much more seriously. He wished he had the opportunity to speak with Max privately before the sheriff got there, to ask him if that was something he even wanted. It was hard for David to guess, for as well as he thought he knew Max he was always constantly surprised. 

The next hours passed in as comfortable of a silence as it could be given the current situation. Gwen checked her room and made sure she was packed, they both emptied out the fridge, though it was practically empty already, they cleaned the dishes and swept the floors at least 7 times. Both of them needed to keep moving it seemed, and with the camp already cleaned and locked up, they had to find something to do to keep their mind off, well, Max. 

When Sal arrived, the sun had set, and David started the coffee machine, the only thing he had yet to put away and clean, when he saw the lights of the trooper shine through the window and onto the wall across it. His ears rung as Gwen got the door for the burly man and another man in uniform, shorter than both of them. He struggled to keep himself calm as he poured four cups of coffee instead of three, leaving an empty mug on the counter for when, if, Max woke up. Gwen saw them to the table and met David at the counter, laying a supportive hand on his shoulder. She could tell he was upset but she hasn’t the slightest idea what he was planning in that goofy head of his. The both carried the coffee to the table, sans the mug set aside for Max which resided next to the coffee maker for when it was needed. 

Sal introduced his partner as Willy, a young man new to the force but eager to do good in the world. David wanted to do good in the world too. 

He wanted to do good for Max. Show him there is happiness in the world. 

“We checked the house, it was one of the most bizzare things I ev’r seen.” Sal began, leaning back so heavily in the old chair that it creaked under the stress. He took a sip of his coffee, black just like Max liked it, David noted, leaving dribbles of liquid still on his mustache. “The furniture an’ ev’rthing was still there, but I tell you that place was deserted!” Both David and Gwen grimaced at his loud voice and reminded him to stay quiet. 

“Does anyone know where they could’ve gone?” David asks, his eyebrows knit with worry. He clutched his coffee mug with both hands to warm them. His was sweetened with cream and sugar to the point that it was barely coffee anymore. He preferred tea over coffee by a long shot, but he needed the extra boost of caffeine right now. 

This time Willy spoke up, a smile trying to crawl its way onto his face. Anyone could tell he was excited, it was probably the most exciting thing he’s seen, or will ever see, working in a police station around these woods. Well, save from the occasional runaway campers. “No, here’s the thing. We asked the neighbors about it and they said they saw the family up and pack up at the end of May and they said no one's been in the house since. We tried to talk to the landlord about it, ‘cause they were renting the place, ya’ know, and he said that they had another month after this paid in advance and he wasn’t gonna worry about it before then.” With the information set out in the open, they all sat silently for a moment, each sipping their drink. 

They all talked together for about an hour before Gwen departed, washing her cup out and setting it back in the cabinet. Everything was supposed to be put up and locked away already anyways. David sat there a little numb, not contributing to the conversation except to say goodbye to Gwen. It had seemed that Max was abandoned, at least that’s the conclusion that the police had come to. David couldn’t image how this must feel to Max. He knew after parents night, that Max’s parents were exactly ideal, however he never imagined this from them. It was incomprehensible for him, how it might feel as a ten year old knowing not only that your parents didn’t care about you, but had intense and world shaking proof of it. 

When the sun began to set, the police men both stepped out of the cabin to make a quick call back to the station. They had come to a consensus that they would take Max to the station to meet the service worker there instead of here at the camp. They didn’t want him running away again, after all, this wasn’t the first time Sal had come up to the camp for something to do with Max. 

When the officers left, David stood up, waiting until the door was closed behind them of course, and walked into the room that Max was in hoping to update him on the situation. As David turned around after softly shutting door in case the boy was still sleeping, not wanting to wake him, he was surprised to find Max awake. 

Max had sat up straight when he heard the door open, immediately meeting David’s eyes when he turned around. Adrenaline rushed through his blood and he could feel thunder in his ears. He knew he should’ve ran when he had the chance, now he’s going with the police. David may not realize it, but it seems that he had royally fucked over Max. 

“Oh! M-Max, you’re awake in here?” David frowned and crossed the room in just a few strides. He opened his mouth to begin explaining the situation when, fueled by fear and rage, Max launched himself off the bed, throwing a pillow directly into David’s face in thee hopes to delay him, and ran for the door. He still had time to get out. 

He still had time to get out. 

He still had time to get out. 

Max hadn’t exactly landed on his feet, that damn bed was taller than he thought, leave it to David to have the tallest god-forsaken bed on the planet. He scrambled towards the door, not even bothering to try to stand first, just desperately trying to make forward progress. He just had to get out again, this time for sure he would make it to the town. David shook his head of the pillow, nearly falling to the floor, himself. As soon as his eyes flicked to Max, he lunged to grab him before he made it out of the room and undoubtedly straight into the police. He didn’t want Max’s chance of having a normal life delayed longer because he’d gotten himself in trouble with law enforcement. David could understand why Max might be scared, but even this was a little irrational. 

“Stop, Max, please!” David barely caught him by his ankle, ending up on the floor himself. He pulled the kid back away from where he was reaching for the door, dangerously close to it. David sat up and held Max tightly in his lap, careful to hold his arms too so that he didn’t get injured by Max’s rage. “Calm down and listen to me!” He tried to keep his voice hushed, knowing that the police were still just outside. 

“David you motherfu-!” David quickly put a hand over Max’s mouth, just realizing in that moment that there were tears in the ten year old’s eyes and running down his cheeks. David’s posture softened and he bowed his head a moment to gather himself, taking a deep steadying breath. It absolutely shattered him inside to see Max this upset. “Max, listen,” he began, his voice stern enough that Max stopped trying to rip his arms out of their confinement. “ I’m going to let you go, and we both going to sit down and discuss the current situation, okay?” David raised his eyebrow looking for some sort of sign of agreement. 

There was none. Max looked just as ready to run out as he did two minutes ago. David tried again to help him see reason. 

“I’m sure you’re well aware of the presence of the police officers here, who I will tell you are currently right outside the cabin. Even if you tried to run now, I’m also sure you’re well aware that there is only one entrance and one exit to this cabin which would put you right in front of them. Now, Max… I’m trying to help you get out of this, believe me,” he paused and tried to search Max’s face for any hint of trust, “but you have to work with me, okay?”

Max was truly and royally fucked. But dammit, David was right. He really was his only hope. A month ago, Max would’ve rather offed himself then be forced to team up with David. Things were different now, David had done more than enough to make Max trust him. Hell, he essentially chose him over Campbell, the man he worshiped for some reason that Max couldn’t comprehend anyways, his decision to help Max kind of leading to his arrest. Trust was hard enough for Max as it is, let alone trusting an adult. He was trying though. Max seemed to go limp in submission, willing to let David help him. 

David smiled softly at this, thankful that Max would rely on him in this no doubt terrifying moment. He let Max go, holding his hands up at his sides as a show of his own submission, letting Max quickly pull himself out of the other mans lap, to instead sit on his own just slightly further away, still within David’s reach, which the older man appreciated. Max’s expression was guarded again, a mask of a scowl on his face, though there were still obvious signs of tears on his cheeks and eyes. 

“I’m sorry the police had to get involved, Max, I really am. I know your relationship with them isn’t exactly… a positive one.” David started, anxiously twirling his thumbs together and tapping his toe. He briefly recalled the several incidents in which Max had graffitied, or just plain shouted, explicits regarding the police force or government in general. “But I need you to understand that me and Gwen didn’t have a choice. We all would’ve gotten in trouble with the law if we let you go, or even if we just let you stay here in secret.” David quickly added the last part, already seeing that argument coming by the change in Max’s posture. 

David knew that he needed to ask Max if he would want to stay with him, given the option, but to be frank, he was terrified. He doubted Max would be very happy if David showed up one day and scooped him out of his environment . Which, who knows, Max may grow to like living with the family he’s placed with, and who was David to get in the way of that?

“The police are here to take you back to the station, where I’m assuming you’ll be put into the foster system pretty immediately. I talked to them a little bit, they’re still waiting on some information, but they’re pretty sure your parents are… gone. As in left the country.” David sighed and ran his hands down his face, “ to be honest Max, I’ve been trying to research nonstop while you’ve been asleep and there are still some things about the system that are confusing to me.” This probably wasn’t what Max needed to hear, but David was just being honest. 

Max wasn’t scared of anything in the world, except for people. He knew that the only real monsters were human beings. He’d seen that first hand and had stories and scars to prove it. He wasn’t surprised that his parents were gone, it’s kind of what he suspected the first day when they dropped him off. David was a different kind of person than them though. One who, as hard as it was for Max to believe, seemed to genuinely give a shit about what happened to him. Max trusted David, even if it was a conscious effort to go against what he, and his environment, had programmed him to do. Max trusted David to do as much as he could to help him. And David intended to do just that. 

There was a long silence both of them, sitting in each other’s company, both of them a little bit lost in this big world. The police had finished by this time but stayed outside by their car, waiting for David to bring Max out. David had explained that it would probably be best that he talk with Max first and they both seemed to agree with that, Sal more than Willy, having actually known Max and David for longer than just this one night. 

“What am I supposed to do?” Max broke the silence first, breaking David’s heart along with it just with the tone of his voice, hushed and scratchy. Max’s tough facade was breaking and cracking at the seams, and it was becoming more and more obvious how scared he really was. He was only a child after all. 

“I… I don’t know what to tell you Max.” David also looked on the verge of tears. He was at a loss. “ I’m so so sorry that this has to happen to you,” Max scoffs and rolls his eyes, but it’s clear that he is hurting inside. 

“Don’t fucking pity me, David.” He bitterly spat out, turning his head away, knowing that if he trying to look at him it would surely only bring him closer to crying again. 

“No, Max, listen,” David pleaded, burning on the inside at the thought that Max didn’t believe that he actually cared for him. “I am so, so, so sorry that this is happening. It burns me up inside to see you hurting. It burns me to think that parents would throw away the chance to be part of the life of an amazing, intelligent, resourceful, boy’s life. It burns me deeply, Max. More than you may ever believe.” David had closed the distance between him and Max, pulling him against his side in a loose hug. Max was crying again. 

“I told you that I would do all I could to help you, and I intend to keep that promise.” David was crying too. He wiped his face with his old Camp Campbell shirt around his neck and took a short breath before continuing, still holding Max close and offering him support. Max had wrapped his hands around David’s jacket silently as fat tears rolled off his cheeks, dampening whatever they landed on. He looked almost in shock, and that made David only squeeze him tighter. 

“I’m going to give you this option, okay? And by no means do you have to accept it. It’s only me trying to help you.” David took a breath, looking at the wall adjacent to him. He couldn’t look Max in the eye, what if he denied? What if he never really trusted in him in the first place?

“If you want me to… I’ll— I’ll fight to get you to live with me Max. I swear I’ll be the best parent I can for you, I have a nice house and I can send you to a nice school, or home school you even if you want! We can make breakfast together, and spend the weekend together bonding, and—and go camping on your holidays from school! I’d show you a good life Max, you can take my word for it.” David had started his proclamation out hesitant, but ended with much more gusto, letting his excitement take hold of him. His fantasy of giving Max a perfect life, him being a father, though he may be young it is still something he’d always imagined he’d find his way to being. He cared for Max deeply, anyone could see that. He hoped that it wouldn’t be too hard to obtain custody of him, but even if it wasn’t, David wouldn’t rest until he succeeded. 

“Max? Max, what’s wrong?” David’s hopeful face soon turned to distress as Max seemed to get agitated, pushing David away and crying more.

“You’re a liar!” Max sobbed, weakly trying to separate himself from the man he was just holding onto for support moments ago. He was so weak from all the emotional stress he didn’t think he could run away even if he wanted. Indeed it was hard for Max to trust, to believe that someone was looking out for him. It was even harder for him to accept the fact that someone would go this far for him, after the decade he spend being a “waste of space” and an “inconvenience” and an overall detriment to his previous family, it was really hard for him to image that someone might willingly want to take him into their home. 

“Max, please, calm down,” David pleaded with him, his own voice sounding a bit broken, not letting him go and, in fact, pulling him closer and back into his lap so that he can hug him fully. Max only sobbed louder, knowing that how ever much his mind told him that David was lying, he knew deep down the truth. David seemed to understand a little bit what was happening, offering as much comfort as he could, seeing as that’s all he really could do. 

David hushed Max softly, soothingly rubbing his back, Max had buried himself into David’s chest at this point, practically holding on for dear life. “Everything will be fine, Max. I’ve got your back, you’ll see.” David whispered, leaning down to rest his forehead on Max’s head for a brief moment. 

This is what David had wanted all along. For Max to trust in him and let him help him. He wanted to see Max prosper, he was so smart. He wanted to show Max the good in life like he saw, to try to be happy even when things were looking down. David knew that he had a lot of work to do, but that doesn’t really matter really, because David cares about Max. 

This is what Max needed all along. Someone he could hold on to, someone to share the burden of the world which so often felt like it rested entirely on this ten year old’s shoulders. Someone that actually wanted good for him, and not something good from him. Max would try his best to work with David, to cooperate and work through the soon to be difficult times. Max would work hard for David if David was going to work hard for him, to save him from the system and give him something not to hate, but to look forward to. But that doesn’t really matter, because Max cares about David. 

“Okay buddy,” David said softly, trying to make this as easy as possible. “I think it might be time to go. Is that okay?” It wasn’t okay with Max at all, but what else was he supposed to do? Just like David said, he couldn’t just stay here forever. Max nodded softly, still hesitating a moment before untangling himself from David and letting him stand up. He was embarrassed for a brief moment, conscious finally that David had seen him so weak, but that thought quickly passed his mind as the grief of leaving truely started to settle in. 

David took Max’s hand and began to walk him out, Max sticking abnormally close to him. David was a little worried that perhaps Sal would be upset that they took so long, but hoped that he would be understanding how stressful this situation would be on a person, let alone a child. The kitchen was still empty when they passed through it and both of them could see Sal and Willy standing by their patrol car through the window next to the door. David opened the door for Max, ushering him outside in front of him, a gentle hand on his shoulder. 

“We thought for a minute there that you’d weren’t going to come back out!” Sal joked, jabbing Willy in the side with his elbow in a friendly manner. Willy was grinning back. David noted for a flicker of time that he was glad that both of them seemed to be in a good mood and not at all annoyed about the wait. David tried to smile back at them but it didn’t reach the rest of his face. Instead he walked down the two steps of the councilor’s cabin with Max in tote slowing his gait so that Max could take his time. The last thing that David wanted was for Max to feel like he was rushing him into the hands of the almighty authority. 

Max couldn’t help it. The sight of the opened police car door with men in uniform waiting for him chilled him to the bone. He knew in his clear mind that he had done nothing wrong, and that they were just driving him to the station, but that didn’t calm his instincts. The closer he got to getting in, the faster his heart beat, the wider his eyes, the more tunneled his vision. He couldn’t help it, he was scared. 

“We grabbed his bag from the kitchen and it’s all packed and ready to go,” Willy started, trying to smile again at David, who was anxiously watching Max. The minute Sal touched Max’s back, intending only to help him up into the car, which was quiet the step up for someone with such short legs, Max seemed to snap. He tried to whip around and run for it, but Sal caught him by his hoodie. The fast movements startled David a little to be honest, he wasn’t prepared at all. 

“Hah! There’s the stallion Max I know, I thought you were being a little too quiet!” Sal picked up the kicking and yelling Max and put him in the back of the car. 

“No! No! David, help!” Max cried, fighting with what seemed like all he had left to get out before Sal shut the door. Sal struggled for a moment, Willy looking absolutely lost in this situation.   
“Max! Max, please it will be okay! I’ll come for you as soon as I can! You’re safe don’t worry!” David was at a loss for words. What was he possibly supposed to say in this one moment from the other side of a police officer that would calm down a distressing Max. There was nothing he could do but watch as Sal finally forced him to sit down before quickly and safely shutting the door so there was no more running away or fighting. David caught a glimpse of Max’s face as he sat in the car, and David could feel himself shatter, his world absolutely rocked to the core. 

“Oh please Sal, be kind with him he’s just scared,” David reasoned, not really believing that Sal would do anything to harm a kid anyways. Sure he could be grumpy sometimes but he was a good guy. The ache in David’s chest which was too familiar to him from when he was searching for Max in the woods returned. Sal patted David on the shoulder and tried to give him an encouraging smile.

“I’ll be sure to tell the social worker that comes for him that you’re more than willing to foster him. They’ll be in touch with you as soon as the paperwork’s done I’m sure, so stay by your phone tonight. These things move fast.” Sal picked up his hand off David and turned to climb into the drivers seat, Willy walking around and looking much less thrilled about the once “exciting” case as he climbed into the passenger side. David took a step back as the doors closed, making his steady breaths a conscious effort. He needed to keep Max safe. He needed to get him back. 

The car pulled away slowly so to not spit up dust directly into David’s face, but sped up once it got to the camp sign, officially leaving Camp Campbell. David stood there long after he couldn’t see the car anymore. 

Normally he would say that his heart ached, but it seemed that his grief has moved passed that. Instead, his chest felt empty, for his heart was with Max. The world continued to spin and the sun was good and gone before David picked up the broken pieces of himself and eventually made his way back into the cabin to finish locking it up. 

He sweeped the rooms once more and put the last coffee cups away. He walked into his bed room to retrieve his bags, picking up the pillow that was thrown on the floor and tiedying up his bed. In the mess of covers, he found Mr. Honeynuts tangled and alone. David quickly picked him up and held him to his chest, tears prickling his eyes. His memories flashed back to that brief glimpse of Max’s face as he sat in the back seat of the Sal’s car. He was so scared, and David couldn’t do anything about it. David was surprised he hadn’t cried until now, seeing Max like that. Though he supposed he could chalk it up to the numbness as well as the need to remain strong for his kid. 

David sat there for a while holding Max’s bear and wishing it was Max himself before he got up and packed his own bags into the old station wagon. He locked the cabin doors behind him as he walked out, the stuffed bear in his left hand. He placed him in the empty passenger seat as he turned on the car, taking one last look in his rear view mirror before leaving Camp Campbell himself. He had a lot of work to do back home to get Max back, and he wanted to be ready for that phone call when it came. 

These things move fast, after all.


	3. III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max finds himself at the police station, ironically for nothing he did. He contemplates his self worth while David is suffering the consequences of his decisions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short little interlude chapter before more good stuff(did I say good stuff? I meant more sad stuff...)

Max sat numb in the back of the police car. His ears rang, his eyes unfocused, as he settled down on the floor, opting not to climb up into the seat where it was probably safer, but instead stay mildy hidden behind the backs of the front seats. He pulled his legs to his chest, and rested his head on the tops of his knees as the long ride from the camp to the police station drew out for all eternity. As the car rumbled along the gravel of the camp driveway, it half rocked, half knocked Max’s head against the door, to the point where he was in a hazey state, not really paying attention to his present surroundings anymore, just resting in his own mind.

His mind wondered on its own, Max seemingly having no control where it went anymore. His brain was constantly nagging at him, trying to force him to accept the fact that David was a dirty fucking liar just like the rest of the adults that he had let himself trust. David wasn’t protecting him. Shit, he just let these two pig cops take him without any fuss, practically put him in the car for them! He just wanted to clean his hands of him. And now here Max was, headed towards the police station where he would begin his useless existence as a perpetual ward of the state. Max couldn’t picture any possible situation where this would turn out positively from this point forward. His life had taken too many wrong turns for it to get back to anywhere good. He had one more chance to escape from Camp Campbell and what was once only a threat of living life under the state, from house to house, and he completely blew it. Well, it was David’s fault too, but Max focused more on the fact of how much he screwed up, rather than the other. After all, David was the dirty-stupid-lying-son-of-a-bitch-idiot-asshole out of the two of them, Max could have had the upper hand and he still lost. 

As Max sat there, his body unresponsive to how the cop car jostled him, his mind replayed horrible memories, and fabricated his near future before his eyes. He saw what lead him up to this point: his birth, a hindrance and disappointment to his parents; their neglect and eventual abandonment; followed by the tentative joy that came with being able to trust someone like David, which immediately diminished with the inevitable betrayal and capture, and his soon to be hell of a life with more rules and undoubtedly nothing close to a good home life-- not like he wasn't used to that at all anyways. Again Max found himself sitting silently, alone, with tears falling without a sound-- not even a hiccup (He was good at crying silently, he certainly had enough practice at it). He felt disconnected from existence, no longer belonging in his own body, no longer belonging anywhere. In a sense, this nothingness that was beginning to grow in his chest was comforting. Because if he didn’t exist, at least he didn’t have to worry about hiding anymore. 

Max couldn’t recall the next hour if you asked him to. The car ride was silent, or perhaps it wasn't, either way he heard none of it, and when they arrived at the police station he was escorted out of the car through the bland and practically empty tiled hallways, and into a small room with a large mirror, a table, and a few chairs. He didn’t put up any fight this time, which Sal was both grateful, and slightly concerned about. 

Sal had made the executive decision to place Max in an interrogation room instead of sitting him in a chair in the front lobby. He didn’t trust the kid not to run away and he didn’t want to scare him with handcuffs or a holding pen. When he ushered the lad inside the white walled room, Max simply took a seat in the corner furthest from the door, his eyes downcast and his hoodie pulled over his head so that tuffs of his unruly hair stuck out of it. Sal frowned but couldn’t bring himself to say anything so he softly shut the door. How was he supposed to comfort a child who is facing abandonment as well as a undetermined, and admittedly, frightening future? Sal was never much of a kid-person either, he’d probably make things worse if he tried to confront Max. Sal watched Max from the one-way-mirror for a few minutes, seeing if the kid would do something, anything, but it seemed from his perspective that the “Great and Mischievous Max” had finally been broken. Sal walked away from the viewing room, the case was completely out of his hands now anyways. Whatever happened to Max now, well, that was just fate, he supposed. Although it made him wonder what that poor kid did to deserve a fate like this. 

The white fluorescent lights bore into Max’s skull like probes, his eyes, red and irritated from crying and rubbing, ached from the past two nights of restless sleep so he closed them, though that didn’t quite hide the light completely. He found himself resting his head on his knees again while his mind spun to the point where he was almost nauseated. His heart was racing with anticipation with who might come through the door next. The old Max might have tried to run out, plan another escape, but that Max was dead now. The new Max, well, the new Max didn’t know what he was supposed to do. If he wasn’t himself anymore than who was he? So instead Max sat silently, waiting with closed eyes in resignation while his heart pounded and his eyes ached. 

It seemed such a short time ago now that he last slept in David’s bed back at Camp Campbell, though ironically the car ride there felt like eternity itself, yet still Max felt tired. So so exhausted. The only thing seeming to keep him awake now was the anxiety that came with, “What comes next?” Max had always had trouble sleeping, but the past two nights-- first on the floor in the woods, and then in David’s bed with anxiety eating him alive while exhaustion soothed him to sleep, had squeezed what little drops of fight he had left in him out. Perhaps with some black coffee, a pizza, and a nice long nap, he would feel more like himself again.

But then again, there was always the fact that his life was over now anyways and there was nothing left for him to do about it, not to mention his only two friends had probably forgotten about him by now, and David, the only one who really cared for him turned out to not care at all and actually be a backstabbing bitch. So, yeah, there was that too.  
\------------------------------  
Maria Hernandez had been working with social services since she got out of college. She was getting old now, but still had bills to pay. Over the years, her heart had grown colder, she shut her soul to the sadness she saw as a way to cope, thus leaving an un-empathic shell of a woman who drank herself to sleep when she got home. She lived alone, but it was not uncommon of her to bring men and women alike with her home from bars or dance clubs. Though her years of that were quickly slipping away.

She wore her dark hair, now with streaks of gray strung in, tied up tight into a professional bun on her head. She wore a well fit suit, her pants pressed so that there were creases on the sides as they flowed down towards her pristine black heels which clicked almost menacingly down the police corridor. Maria wasn’t a bad woman, she had just lost herself within her profession. Years ago she drank to forget about the helpless sad children she was charged with attempting to help, now she built walls. Max wouldn’t be the first of his situation that she saw and he certainly wouldn’t be the last. Maria couldn’t lose herself in the sadness of these children’s eyes and so she taught herself not to care. Perhaps if she had met Max in the beginning of her career she could have done right by him. But now there are not enough good homes, more angry men telling her to work faster and more efficiently, and not enough tears in the world to fix all the problems she deals with.

This woman, Maria Hernandez, was the social worker assigned to Max. It was somewhat poetic, actually. They had both given up, so in that perspective, they were almost meant for each other. 

The hallway echoed with the clicks of Hernandez’s expensive heels on the tile floor as she made her way towards the holding room that Max was currently residing in. She held a folder against her chest with one hand containing all of Max’s life, what little of it that was recorded that is, and a briefcase in the other hand which contained a plethora of other children’s lives as well as the homes they were placed in. 

When she opened the door to the room Max was in, he hadn’t moved an inch away from his corner. In fact, If Maria wasn’t a professional, she might have assumed he was asleep, but she knew as well as anyone the fear he must be experiencing. He barely even flinched at the sound of the metal door hinges creaking followed by the whole thing swinging open. He looked up briefly to watch Hernandez close the door behind her before taking a seat at one of the chairs at the interrogation room. The chair made an alarming loud noise in comparison to the silence that had previously enveloped the room, the envelope made a much more pathetic flop on the metal table as Maria freed it of her grip. The papers whistled against one another as the woman set about organizing them and even filling out a few things she had missed, the soft sound of her pen scratching methodically filling the room. Max set his head back down, losing interest in the woman’s activities as he retreated back into his own mind where he replayed the scene of David handing him over to this fate. He had a pretty good idea about what would happen next in life as a result of the events of the past 48 hours, and it wasn’t something he looked forward to. At the very least he could mentally prepare himself though. 

Maria didn’t force Max to acknowledge her while she sat patiently, if the kid didn’t want to talk to her, then she could at least respect that. Even if her end of the paperwork was done, she still had to wait for the nurse to come by to give Max a quick required check-up (Maria had set it up so that they could do it at the police station instead of trying to move Max, who she heard was a troublemaker, around half a million places). Her name was Angela or maybe Annabelle? Maria couldn’t remember and she really didn’t care that much either. All she cared about was that the health screening part of her files for Max was still empty and that Angie, or whatever she called herself, was five minutes late. “My name is Maria Hernandez, Max. I’m sure you don’t exactly enjoy my presence here…” she glanced to her side to look at the door, tapping her pen on the paper impatiently, ”But nevertheless, I’m the one that’s going to be helping you into your new home today as well as any other custody procedures that may happen in the future from here on out.” Max couldn’t resist rolling his eyes, but he managed to hold back the scoff that normally accompanies such an action, maintaining his downward case posture. 

“Things will go smoother if you can learn to cooperate with me.”

\-------------------------

David couldn’t remember most of his drive home if he was being honest. It was only a few hours and it wasn’t like he was asleep or anything, his mind was just preoccupied. He’d done this drive countless times anyways, it wasn’t like he was going to get lost if he wasn’t paying attention or something like that. David was a safe driver too, he always drove under the speed limit and had both hands on the wheel. All he could think of was Max. The boy’s cries for help echoed in his ears as well as the sound of the police car door cutting them off. He didn’t even remember to turn on his Farmer’s Almanac tapes on when he got into the car, not that the narrator’s voice could ever drown out those sounds. 

David’s cabin came into view, but he barely acknowledged it more than pulling the old mobile into park and retrieving his keys from the ignition. He left his bags in the trunk, and drug his feet as he walked through the heavy solid wood door. Merely a few steps in, he fell to his knees, surrounded by darkness feeling very very alone in his own home, and weeped. Images of Max reaching out to him, his cheeks stained with tears, replayed in his mind like a never ending nightmare. The echoes of the boys cries screamed in David’s mind. All he could think of was Max. He was supposed to protect him, he promised to protect him-- to keep him safe. Instead Max was off somewhere without him, alone, and probably terribly frightened. 

David lost track of time, sitting in the darkness of his own home, which felt empty and strange. In fact, he never got around to unpacking his bags, or making himself lunch, or even picking himself off the floor. He laid in and out of sleep on the floor, his mind reeling with the consequences of his decisions today. What else was he supposed to do? He couldn’t have just taken Max, that would’ve gotten him arrested and even further away from him. It’s not like he was family or anything either, he was really nothing to Max. He doubted if summer camp counselor had any custodial privileges in the eyes of the government. 

The evening sunset shown through David’s windows before he even picked himself off the floor. He took off his boots and flicked on the house lights finally, shooing away at least some of the gloom. He put on his house slippers and went to his office, a small room that he would soon be converting into a bedroom for Max, and booted up his computer. He had research to do, and undoubtedly paperwork to fill out and phone calls to make before he was anywhere close to having his boy back. He owed it to Max to work quickly, and it’s not like David felt like resting anymore, it was time for action! And with a portion of his stereotypical “David attitude” he set to work. He had about a week until his Camp Campbell off season job started up, a forest rangers for the same large expanse of woods that all the summer camps reside in, which meant plenty of time to make room in his house for Max as well as the daunting task of just getting Max. 

After a few hours of feverishly typing yet feeling like he had gotten nowhere, if not but feeling like he had more to do than before. When the sun had all but gone down he finally got around to unpacking his bag after retrieving it from his car along with a certain Mr. Honeynuts from the passenger seat. He put up his clothes and set the bear on the kitchen counter as a constant reminder of what he was working towards. 

He would get Max back, no matter what it took.

\---------------------------------  
Max felt violated, no even more than that. Being probed for what felt like a million embarrassing hours brought back a little of his fire, and being shoved into yet another car began to wake him up from his depressive stupor. He decided that day that he was officially done with being shoved into cars. He wasn’t a damned infant, he could walk himself. He was tired of privileged adults forcing him into situations he didn’t want to be in. That included people like David who end up backstabbing him in the end. 

Maria’s car some some expensive black mass on wheels. It was shiny and new and probably the most expensive thing Max had ever been near, not to mention touch. He sat in the backseat even though the front passenger seat was wide open. Max absentmindedly noted that David would have let him sit in the front seat but quickly dismissed the thought when the tightness in his throat that comes before the tears began to return. 

Maria said nothing on the ride, so Max occupied himself with looking outside the window at the passing scenery. He didn’t bother making an effort to try to figure out where they were going. It’s not like he had to worry about making his way back anywhere. As of a few days ago, he didn’t belong anywhere, he didn’t have a home to return to. Maybe he would travel south where it was warmer, he always preferred summer over winter anyways. 

He hoped and anticipated that the place they assigned him to turned out to be filled with incompetent idiots and he would be able to squeeze away. In the past few hours when he was locked in self reflection his cynical proverbial heart grew five sizes. He was like the plot of the grinch but in reverse. If he was going to be forced to live this life then by god he was going to give these people hell. That’s what Max-es did best anyways. 

Maria turned into a long paved driveway and Max’s anxiety began to grow. He attempted to shove it down with a hard swallow as he sat up higher in his seat. His palms were sweating so we he shoved them into his hoodie pocket. He saw out of the corner of his eye Maria look at him in the rear view mirror as she put the car into park in front of the sidewalk leading up to the house. 

“Welcome to your new home, Max”


	4. IV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof, I haven't added to this story in a hot second. I guess I kinda lost motivation for it... Everyone's comments are super encouraging thank you for following this story! Here's the next chapter and hopefully chapter five will be shortly behind, as I've already started working on it :)

The two story white house stood in an almost-well kept lawn, with a cracked but clean way of pavement leading up to the porch from the driveway where Maria had parked her expensive car. The curtains on the front face of the house jostled for a moment as a figure seemed to look through the window, before a woman came out of the front door and stood on the porch waiting for them. Maria sighed audibly as she took the keys out of the ignition, stepping out of the car, grabbing her briefcase from the passenger seat. She stepped around the car to open the door for Max, but he swung the door open right before she reached for it, nearly knocking her down. He sneered at her for a flash of a second before quickly looking away as he shut the door as if nothing had happened. Maria said nothing, a frown settling in on her face as she popped the trunk so Max could grab his singular backpack out of it. 

They walked up to the house together, Maria in front of Max by a handful of steps. Her legs were much longer than his, plus those heels, he had to watch his pace in order to keep up with her. Plus, it wasn’t like he was dying to get inside either. It was better than trying to keep up with David’s gangly-ass gate at least. Max shook his head to clear away the thought of David as quickly as it came because with it only brought a sick feeling to his stomach as he felt all of this weight disappear. He might even lift off the ground if his gut wasn’t so heavy. 

The woman standing in the doorway wore a light blouse with a flower print on it, the sleeves were ruffled and loose fitting. Her skin was pale and her cheeks rosy, she smiled to greet them when they got close, showing off her teeth. They were crooked and stained from countless cups of coffee. She wasn’t an abnormally tall woman, Max wagered she was probably average height, but everyone was massively tall compared to him anyways. She smelled of cigarettes and faintly of scotch, though that was mostly covered by the sickeningly sweet perfume she was wearing. Max’s stomach did another flip when he was close enough to smell her, and his anxiety immediately tripled. He cast his eyes down to avoid her own gaze. 

“Good afternoon, Tabitha.” Maria smiled, but her voice lacked genuine joy. “I’ve brought the little boy we discussed on the phone earlier.” Maria’s hand gripped Max’s shoulder with a borderline uncomfortably strong grip, as if he might try to run at any moment. Which might be a good consideration if not for his midget legs. Max kept his mouth shut for now. Something about this bubbly woman in front of him didn’t seem right to him. “Thank you for being so understanding with the short notice.” At this point, Maria let go of Max and nudged him in front of her with something that might even be considered a shove. The woman, Tabitha, as Maria called her, crouched down to Max’s level with a sickly sweet expression on her face, she patted Max’s cheek and he quickly swatted her away, a disgusted look plastered on his face. The closer she got to him, to more he almost gagged on her smell. It wasn’t particularly bad, but the mixture of smoke and alcohol brought back such bad memories that he felt nauseous. Who the hell was this woman anyways? 

“It’s nice to meet you too, Maxwell.” Max shuddered at the way she said his name, angrily adjusting his backpack. The thing had to be at least as heavy as himself, packed with everything he had now, he supposed. He’d wager that anything he didn’t pack for Camp Campbell was now in the dumpster or in India with the rest of his family. Tabitha stood up and opened the door for them both, Maria walked in first, practically stepping over Max when he didn’t move immediately, frozen in his place by fear. His gut was getting mega bad vibes from the inside of that house, it made him a little light headed almost. Tabitha merely smiled sweetly at him before ushering him inside with a gentle guidance of his shoulders. She was gentler than Maria, but the feeling of her thin fingers on his shoulders gave his whole body goosebumps. 

The second Max set a foot past the threshold of the house, his stomach dropped. For some reason, this act made everything seem so much more real to him than it previously had in his near dream like and depressive state. Tabitha and Maria sat down at the table together and Maria immediety got out her paperwork. It was almost a routine. Max felt numb and, dare he say it, frightened, so he stood there, only a few feet in the door, not knowing what to do with himself while the adults tended to business. It made him feel unbelievably small. They were just ignoring him completely! David would never do such a thing, he was always attentive and aware of Max, even when he just wanted the councilor to leave him the fuck alone. 

The thought of David made Max take in a breath to clear his head. No. No more David, no more David, no more David. That son of a bitch was dead to him, as far as Max was concerned. 

A kid, a handful of years older than Max, came down the carpeted stairs and into the tiled kitchen from the second floor. Tabitha looked up at the footsteps, her hand mid-page-turn on the packet that Maria had provided, her other hand poised with a pen. “James, take Max up to his room.” She turned back to her task at hand, not paying the two boys any other attention, in fact she barely looked up in the first place, barely even moving her head. It seemed that within the household her sweet demeanor was already beginning to fade. A shiver ran down Max’s spine as he quickly attempted to recover from the new wave of nausea overcoming him. 

“Yes, Miss Tabitha.” James crossed the room quickly, and grabbed Max’s wrist more aggressively than necessary and began to pull him up the stairs and away from the women sitting at the table. Max stumbled up the first two steps due to his weight being pulled faster than his legs could keep up. He ripped his arm out of the older boy’s grip and glared at him, but kept moving. James sneered back at Max. He stood a foot extra taller than Max on flat ground, but from his vantage point higher on the stairs than Max, he certainly had an intimidating and menacing air about him. James stood there for only a second boring his ugly stare into Max’s face before continuing up to the second floor. Max rolled his eyes and continued following, but he couldn’t help but panic internally at the situation he had found himself in. These people seemed worse than the Wood Scouts. At least he didn’t have the deep down fear of them actually murdering him. Well… the more he thought on that specifically he wasn’t exactly sure, so he quickly tried to push the thought from his brain. 

The upstairs was also carpeted, the stairs extended into a hallway with doors on both sides, four of them in total. James walked Max to the last door on the left, standing beside it with another venomous smile and his arms crossed. Max stood up straight and opened the door to the room, turned around to shut the door hard in James’ face without hesitation when the older boy turned to look inside. Max decided that he had had enough of James’ shit already and he has known him for less than five minutes. 

Max could hear James laugh right outside his door, followed by foot steps and another door opening and closing fainting, muffled by Max’s own closed door. Max went to lock his door but found there was no lock, he groaned, rolling his head back in aggravation and shrugged off his backpack at the side of the door before turning to find something to block the door with. There was no way he was sleeping in this house with these strange people without having at least some protection. 

The room was small with one window that looked out over the side yard, a mattress on a low sitting bed frame paired with what looked like the most uncomfortable bedding Max had ever seen, a desk with nothing sitting on top of it and one leg shorter than the other so that when Max inspected it further it wobbled terribly. The desk sat with one chair which Max dragged over to the door to hold it closed, two of the legs digging into the carpet on the floor while the chair leaned backwards and the back rest was shoved under the door handle so that even though the handle could be turned, the door could not easily be opened. 

Max sighed and wiped his hands off, he considered moving the desk too, just for good measure, but he was scared that if he tried to mess with that hunk of junk too much it would fall apart. Which he assumed wouldn’t go over very well with ‘Miss Tabitha’ downstairs. 

At this thought Max sneered and voiced the words aloud this time in a mocking tone, “Yes, Miss Tabitha.” he smiled more at the image of the great big bad wolf, James, kneeling down in submission for the woman downstairs. He was never one for authority, let alone the act of respecting them, and he doubted that that woman would change him in that regard. Though it was hard to ignore the evil that oozed from behind her beautiful and kind facade. 

The bed creaked as Max sat on it, setting his bag next to him. He groaned at this, he had been hoping that his days of sleeping on shitty beds since his time at Camp Campbell was finished, would be over. Apparently that must have been just more wishful thinking. Max went to open his bag, since he was now, in theory safely alone in this room, so he could change into his pajamas or at least some clean clothes. He was lucky that he did laundry a few days before the last day of camp, partly in anticipation of his escape plan, because he didn’t exactly feel like asking where the laundry was. He didn’t intend on staying her long enough to need it really. 

However, the minute that Max opened his backpack, his heart stopped and his stomach plummeted. 

Mr. Honeynuts should have been sitting right on top, but in his place was only empty air.

\-------------------------------------

David had spent the last 24 hours cleaning up his cabin, setting up the guest bedroom specifically. He had be using the room as storage so it was filled with musty boxes of memorabilia from his years at camp Campbell. A woman from social services was coming to inspect his house, and him he assumed, to see if he was fit to foster or even adopt a kid. He had no doubt that he would pass, though there was still a steady stream of anxiety that followed him around his house. He couldn’t fail at this. He couldn’t fail Max. After all that’s happened between them, he needed to get Max back. 

David fluffed the pillows on the guest bed, then gently placed Max’s teddy bear down on the bed. His heart ached again at the sight of it, hoping that it would only be a matter of time before he could reunite the bear with his boy. David was interrupted from his musings with a swift knock on the door. He quickly got up, brushed himself off and combed his fingers through his hair. He couldn’t mess this up. For Max.


End file.
